


Abnormal Circumstances

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Disturbing Imagery or Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-07-08
Updated: 2006-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-15 05:01:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 16,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Jed and Abbey are kidnapped by Columbian drug lords.  Recovery is difficult for both.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Jed and Abbey both rested. This time, the lovemaking had been gentle and soft. It was a deep expression of their love for each other. 

Soon, they were asleep, having sweet dreams of each other. It had been a loving night.

***

The next day, Abbey decided she wanted to go to Camp David for the weekend. She bullied Jed to go with her.

“You know you haven’t really rested in two months. It’ll be just the two of us. We can get some rest and reconnect.” 

Abbey hoped that Jed would agree. They were both exhausted from living through an incredible schedule the last two months.

“That’s fine Abbey, but I can’t go until late. I have meetings until seven. But I agree with you. Last night was perfect and we really need a down weekend.”

Jed hung up the phone and started to read his massive stack of paperwork. It never really ended.

***

Later that night, as they were starting to leave, Ron stopped them.

“Mr. President, the fog is terrible and Marine One can’t fly so you’ll have to go by motorcade. It’ll just take longer than normal.” 

Jed shrugged his shoulders. He was used to last minute changes. Besides, he didn’t really like flying if the sun wasn’t shining.

“Okay, then let’s get in the car.”

Jed and Abbey left with six agents in a two vehicle Suburban motorcade.

Most people would easily realize who was in such a motorcade and this night was not any different.

About halfway there, on a lonely Maryland Highway, the motorcade came to a roadblock. Before the agents could notify headquarters, guns were fired. As each agent left the vehicle, they were cut down where they stood. Even the agents directly responsible to protect the First Couple were killed through the supposedly bullet-proof glass of the Suburban. 

It was over quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Jed and Abbey watched in horror and shock while the slaughter took place. Both pressed their panic buttons, but knew that help could not get there in time. Soon the back doors were opened and they were jerked out of the backseat. Men with machine guns were insistent that they follow them. There were no agents alive that could help them.

One of the men grabbed Abbey’s arm and squeezed it until she dropped her panic button. Jed couldn’t come to her aid because he was being forced to drop his as well.

“No help,” one of the gunmen said in broken English as he crushed the buttons beneath his heavy boot.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Abbey tried to put on a brave face.

“Do you know who I am?” Jed knew they were in deep trouble.

“Yeah, you’re President and she’s First Lady. And you both are who we want. Now, are you going to walk or are we going to carry you?”

Both of them were pushed off the highway into some dense woods.

Jed tried to reach for Abbey’s arm, but one of the kidnappers came down with a gun butt on his outstretched hand.

“Ow! That hurt.” Jed rubbed his hand, trying to dull the pain.

“Don’t touch!” 

Jed’s hand was beginning to swell. It could very well be broken. But their kidnappers wouldn’t let them stop long enough for Abbey to look at it. They were being pushed along the path deeper into the woods. 

At one point, Abbey tripped on some roots and fell. Jed automatically leaned down to help her. All it got him was another gun butt, shoved this time into his side. He leaned over for a moment until the pain lessened and his breath returned.

Abbey quickly pushed herself up and started walking again. “I’ll be fine, Jed.” But she was scared. 

“Go!” The men kept waving their weapons so following orders was the only choice at the moment. Help certainly could not arrive in time.

Shortly they reached a clearing with a small plane on the grass. The men kept pushing them toward that plane. 

Jed knew if they were put on that plane, no telling where they would end up. But could he risk his and Abbey’s life to stop it? He quickly decided he had no choice. He had to try something.

As the group walked closer to the plane, Jed suddenly turned around and struck the man following him, making him drop his weapon. As Jed reached for the weapon, he heard Abbey scream.

“No! Don’t!”

Looking up, one of the other men had her by the neck with a gun propped on her shoulder. “Anything, she’s dead.” Jed could see in the moonlight how terrified Abbey was.

As Jed straightened up without the weapon, he saw Abbey start to say something at the same time he felt the blow to his head. Blackness followed.

Both were tied up with heavy rope. Abbey was pushed into the plane and the President’s lifeless body shoved in next to her.

She saw one of the men take out a syringe and fill it. Then he came toward her. Whatever he was going to do, she knew she couldn’t resist. Even though she tried to move away from him, there was no place to go. Within seconds after the needle pricked her arm, she lost consciousness. 

The drug was instantly effective.


	3. Chapter 3

Within minutes, more agents arrived on the scene of the abduction only to find their colleagues dead along side the road and the President and First Lady missing.

"Fan out! They have to be here somewhere."

After a few minutes the crushed panic buttons were found. The lead agent shuddered. Whoever took them meant to destroy any trace that could have been followed. Only then did he knew for sure that the First Couple would never be found nearby. And the kidnappers meant that the President and First Lady would never be found.

Ten agents with a large group of local police continue to search the adjoining woods until they realized that their protectees were not nearby. 

The supervising agent then relayed that information to the White House and the head of the Presidential detail. 

***

Leo was sitting at his desk, enjoying the quietness and thinking about actually going home early.

"Mr. McGarry, there’s been an incident."

What Leo saw was an emotional Head of Presidential Security standing before him. His heart stopped as he waited for Ron to tell him what obviously was bad news of some kind. Ron had never expressed so much emotion before, so Leo knew it was something tragic.

"The President and the First Lady are missing. There are six dead agents and two empty Suburbans about twenty miles south of Camp David."

"My God! Do you have any clues?"

"The only hard fact I have is that when the agents didn’t make it to Camp David in the specified time, we located the vehicles by GPS and quickly arrived on the scene. The agents’ bodies were cold and the President and Mrs. Bartlet were missing. We found both of their panic buttons on the side of the road, crushed. We’re currently completing a search of the area. No news on the search yet."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Let’s wait a couple of minutes. They might be in the vicinity and can’t call for help."

"Do you really think so?"

"No."


	4. Chapter 4

As she regained consciousness, Abbey became aware of a bare room with stone walls. It was hot and muggy. The heat and humidity was oppressing. Sweat covered her body and dripped down between her breasts. Lizards lazily crawled up the walls. Occasionally, she would hear the sounds of rats scurrying across the floor. An old ceiling fan swung lazily around its post. She lay on a metal bed with a dirty mattress. 

Where was she? And where was Jed?

Sluggishly, she sat up on the edge of the dirty bed, trying to clear her brain. The massacre. The airplane. The drugs. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, she got off the bed to check out the room. She checked the walls for any opening but found nothing but the door which was locked from the outside. No windows either. Making her way back to the bed, she laid back down, trying to decide where they had been taken and why. 

Shortly, she heard the lock open and four men entered the room.

Laughing, they made their way to the bed. 

"Oh, you’re awake," one muttered in Spanish.

"Time for some fun," another replied as they all moved toward her.

Abbey tried to draw up in a ball, trying fruitlessly to maintain distance between her and her kidnappers.

Fighting their approach, she was easily pinned to the bed and then picked up by massive hands. She was slung like a sack of potatoes across the room, hitting the concrete wall with a tremendous force. Stunned, she hit the floor and lay there in an attempt to recover from the force of the shock of hitting the wall and then the floor.

"Now, you’ll behave, won’t you?"

Abbey couldn’t understand the language but knew by their actions they meant for her to comply with their demands.

The men quickly moved to pick up the stunned First Lady and tossed her back on the bed. As she tried to scream, a large hand was placed over her mouth, only to be followed by a tight piece of duct tape. This effectively shut down any effort on her behalf to call for help. As if help was nearby.

Tying her arms and legs to the metal bed posts, they ripped her clothes off, leaving only her underwear.

"Now we have fun. You don’t fight us."

As her captors spoke in Spanish, Abbey shook at the thought of what they intended to do to her. One of the men drew a knife and placed it near her throat. She felt the pressure of the point near her carotid artery, knowing one slight twitch and she would bleed to death in a matter of minutes.

"No talking." 

The knife made its way down her throat, pressing into her pale skin, continuing down her chest until it reached the small fabric band that joined her bra cups. It was quickly sliced into two pieces, leaving her breasts to expand into their full proportion. All of the men in the room laughed.

"I want to do her now. Look at her breasts. Full, ripe, ready for the taking."

"No. Not yet."

Abbey quivered at each touch. Proceeding downward, the knife quickly caught the edges of her panties and shredded them. Scared, all Abbey could do was shiver. But determined not to show fright, she tried to bring her emotions under control. 

"Now, we’ll do what we came to do."

One pulled a camera out and quickly took several photos of the First Lady. Her eyes wide with fright, her body fully exposed, the men laughing each time the flash captured her situation.

She maintained her false calm until a finger was inserted between her legs, into a space where only her husband had been. Twisting against the violation did no good. A quick flash told her another picture was taken. Pictures probably destined for the White House. Ransom of some kind.

In Spanish, her captors talked quickly back and forth.

"I think she’s scared. The FIRST Lady of the United States scared of us? Isn’t that a joke?"

"Yeah. But she should be. We can do anything and she can’t fight us." One of the men moved toward the bed but was stopped by the apparent head of the group. "Not yet. We will make our demands. If they’re not met, then we’ll have our fun."

The leader took something out of his side pocket. Another syringe filed with some kind of fluid. Abbey struggled against her bonds, hoping against hope that she could somehow get away. But another needle prick and once again blackness enveloped her.


	5. Chapter 5

Regaining consciousness once again, Abbey struggled to remember what had happened. The surprise attack on the motorcade to Camp David. The rough walk in the woods and then shoved into the helicopter. And now this. 

She was strapped to the bedposts with iron shackles and duct tape across her mouth. Her clothes had been stripped from her. The heat and humidity was still oppressive and causing her to sweat profusely. She was afraid to think what her kidnappers wanted. 

Her thoughts wandered. ‘Where was Jed? Was he being tortured somewhere nearby? Or had he already been killed?’ Tears began to pool just thinking about what was happening to him. ‘Somehow, through all that that has happened to me, I still feel him. I still believe that somewhere, somehow he’s still alive. God I hope so.’

She prayed that they both would survive this horrible experience and make it back to the White House. She knew by now the Service would be turning the country upside down trying to locate them. But would they survive that long? 

As time passed, having nothing else to do, she drifted back to sleep. The effects of the drug she had been given had yet to completely wear off.

***

Sometime later, she woke to groans as two of the kidnappers dragged an unconscious man into the room. As they threw him roughly against the wall and clasped shackles around his wrists and legs, she realized with horror that it was Jed.

He had bruises appearing across his face, his chest, and his abdomen. What looked like boot marks were evident down the sides of his chest. It looked like he had been whipped but she couldn’t tell for sure. What she did see clearly was that his left hand had swollen to twice its normal size.

As soon as their hostage was secure, their captors threw water across Jed’s face to wake him up. 

"What the hell?" as he shook the water off him and regained some semblance of consciousness.

Abbey struggled to respond, but couldn’t.

Jed looked around and quickly realized the situation was not good. He was naked and bound to the walls with iron links. His arms were pinned above his head and his legs pinned against the wall. He quickly noticed that Abbey was restrained on the bed in front of him, tape across her mouth, and naked as well.

His heart sank as he realized he was the reason she was in this situation. He still didn’t know what the kidnappers wanted. It had been all he could do to survive the beatings that had taken place in the last few hours.

"Abbey, are you okay?"

She only could respond by shaking her head sideways. She continued to twist, trying to get out of her bonds.

"Welcome, Mr. President." One of the kidnappers was talking to him with a sneer in his voice. "Good to have you here. You can watch us as we love your wife. She’s good looking, ready for loving."

"NO!"

"Quiet!" as a hand cut a path across his face. "Quiet! We do what we need to do."

Smiling, the kidnapper turned to face Abbey and rubbed his hands, in anticipation of finally getting what he had wanted for the past few hours. His leader was busy so he knew his chance was now. 

Jed watched in horror as one of the kidnappers, definitely aroused from the twisting and struggling of Abbey against her bonds, decided to act upon his biological impulses. 

Jed saw her cringe as she realized what was happening. But to his horror all he could do was watch as one of the larger men straddled her and perfunctorily rubbed her nipples and then her breasts. He kissed her nipples and stroked down her body with big, rough fingers. Physical reactions took place. There was only pure hate behind Abbey’s emotional response. Turning her head away in disgust, Abbey tried to force her mind out of her current predicament. 

"Now, we finish this." Momentarily pulling himself off, he pulled his pants down, releasing his erection.

Screaming "NO! Get off her!" Jed twisted, trying to get out of his restraints. But they held, like the kidnappers intended.

Ignoring Jed’s pleas, he mounted Abbey again. She turned her face only to have his foul breath envelope her as he lowered his head and entered her abruptly. His initial thrust was deep and rough as Abbey silently screamed. The tape muffled any screams she was trying to make. Her eyes darted between the horror on Jed’s angry face and her abuser’s excited face.

She arched her back in response to the intense pain but there could be no sound. Tears from the agony poured from her eyes. That was the only way she could respond.

She felt fluid pouring from her and instinctly knew she was bleeding. The brutality of the assault had torn her delicate tissues. But that didn’t stop him. He continued until he had spread his seed deep inside her.

"Now, your turn," as the first man stood up and zipped his pants. 

"She lovely. What fun!"

The second man unzipped his pants and assaulted Abbey with the same brute force. He had gotten hard just watching the first man. He didn’t care a bit about who it was beneath him. He just wanted to satisfy his own urgent desire. Abbey’s intense pain continued, as well as the bleeding.

Jed fought his bonds, but they wouldn’t budge. Jed tried to focus on Abbey’s eyes, her tears of pain falling from them. It tore him apart. Jed finally had to close his eyes to the horror unfolding in front of him. He sagged with defeat against his restraints. As much as he wanted too, he couldn’t help Abbey at all. ‘I’m sorry, Abbey. I’ so sorry,’ were his thoughts as the assault continued.

As the second man finished, the revulsion Abbey felt overcame her efforts to keep it in control. She began to vomit. But as the vomit reached her mouth and, having no other means of escape, it went back down her windpipe. Acid flooded down her throat, burning her lungs. And she couldn’t do anything to prevent it. 

Immediately afterwards, she passed out.

Watching in horror as Abbey went limp, Jed screamed. "What did the hell did you just do?" 

"I think your wife just choked to death. Apparently, she didn’t like us screwing her."

"I don't either, you fucking bastards." Jed spit at him. 

The reply was a punch to the President’s face. "I don’t give a damn how important you think you are. You’re my trash now." 

"You’re crazy."

"Maybe. But we have you. Remember that."


	6. Chapter 6

The phone rang in CJ’s apartment at 6 am Sunday. 

For twenty-four hours after the President’s kidnapping, there had been no clue as to who the kidnappers were or what they wanted. The news channels were constantly showing the highway where the kidnapping occurred, but had very little else to report. 

Surely there would be some kind of ransom note. Some kind of payment wanted.

Unless they were already dead.

Finally, Leo had everybody to go home because there was nothing more anyone could do. By 3 am all the Senior Staff, except for Leo, had gone home for a nap.

Groggily, CJ picked up the phone. "Hello?" 

"CJ? It’s Stan Todd from CCN."

More awake now, CJ was furious about a reporter calling her at home. "How the hell do you get off…?"

"CJ, I have some news about the President’s abduction."

"What?"

"Our Bogotá reporter received a note and photos from the kidnappers as well as a video. It’s way too graphic for the news. I want to know if the White House wants it."

"Hell yeah. Where is it?"

"Here in Washington. We flew it in the last couple of hours. CJ, it’s very graphic. VERY graphic."

"Just leave it there. I’ll have the Service pick it up. And Stan, thanks. I owe you one."

"CJ, just find them and bring them home. That’s my payment."

CJ hung up the phone and immediately arranged for a pick-up. She quickly jumped into the same clothes she had on yesterday and made a quick return to the West Wing.

This was the first lead anyone had on the First Couple’s abduction. She was waiting with Ron and Leo in his office for the tape’s arrival. When it did arrive, CJ was sickened at what the tape showed.

Thank God they didn’t put it on the air. Anyone who saw the pictures recoiled in horror at the sight of a naked President and First Lady, restrained according to their captors’ perverted desires. Bruises covered almost every inch of their bodies. In one shot, the First Lady had her mouth taped shut and looked unconscious. 

CJ stomach began somersaults and she ran to the bathroom. 

Leo and Ron got mad. Mad as hell. Even they recoiled at the sight of the most famous couple in the world held in such condition. How dare did they do this! Whoever ‘they’ were. It just doubled Ron’s determination to find them. But who was responsible and what did they want?

The note accompanying the pictures was in Spanish. Leo quickly called for an interpreter so they would know what the kidnappers wanted. The translator wrote out the English translation.

<i>

The government of the United States has done everything in its power to stop the legal manufacture of drugs in our country. We hold President Josiah Bartlet personally responsible for this policy. Therefore, we took both him and his beautiful wife to our humble abode. Both of them will suffer for this policy until such time it is revoked by the Congress of the United States. We will maintain our watch on the news channels and monitor the status of such a vote. When the vote is final, they will be released. However, the longer you delay, the more harm will come to them.

Drug Congress of Latin America </i>

"Margaret, get me the acting President and the Speaker of the House. Right now!"

Although it was news, it wasn’t the best. But at last they had some general idea where the First Couple maybe was being held. While Leo managed the political side, Ron called upon his contacts in the CIA for assistance. They were briefed and plans were initiated for a rescue operation. But more precise information was needed before the operation could be started. And then, would they make it in time?


	7. Chapter 7

From his position, Jed could see Abbey’s chest rise and fall. 

Slowly, but she was still alive. 

He could also see the blood pooling under her buttocks. He didn’t know how much blood she had already lost, but it hadn’t stopped in the time she had been unconscious. 

He cried as he noted the bruises and cuts that covered her body. Handprint shaped bruises on her legs and neck were the most difficult to take. He had seen the damage done and couldn’t help her. As much as he wanted to, he was helpless in preventing the attacks.

The door opened and the same two kidnappers ambled into the room and undid the locks around his legs. 

"Bastard! You’ve nearly killed my wife."

"Yeah. Too bad." The first kidnapper smiled. "She’s beautiful, no?"

"Burn in hell!" and he spit at the kidnappers again.

And again, a slap across the face was the answer.

With the second man hovering nearby with a gun, he undid Jed’s hands and then pushed him toward the bed. 

His kidnappers pushed him face down on the bed, on top of Abbey, and fastened the iron chains back around his ankles and his left arm. He tried to maneuver his body so that most of his weight was not directly pressing on Abbey. It was a very uncomfortable position.

The motion made Abbey stir.

"That’s right, Abbey. Wake up. Please just wake up."

After a few more pleading words, Abbey opened her eyes directly into her husband’s face. The look of terror in her eyes was too much for Jed to bear.

"It’s okay hon. It’s only me. You’re going to be fine."

Abbey tried to focus on what Jed was saying. But between the blood loss, the drug and lack of sleep, she couldn’t quite comprehend his words.

"Okay, we watch now. Make love to your wife like you do in that big white house."

Jed was appalled at their request. They wanted to watch him and Abbey make love. How sick that was. How repulsed Jed was. 

"No way." Jed could see the terror that filled Abbey’s eyes when she realized what they wanted. He had tried to reassure her that everything was okay and now this crap? "I won’t."

"You’ll do it or die."

"I won’t."

"Then you die."

They again slapped him in the face and then hit him repeatedly with the gun butts in the lower back, over the kidneys. By the time they gave him a few kicks in his ribs, Jed could no longer restrain the screams that now came from his throat. 

Abbey became even more terrified. Were they going to kill her husband right in front of her?

Eventually, Jed passed out, still lying with most of his weight on top of Abbey.

The men laughed and joked that maybe the President wasn’t such a big man after all. "Big men made love to anybody at anytime." 

Leaving the room, the leader had one more comment to their hostage.

"We’ll be back. And this time we’ll continue with our fun."

Abbey trembled in dread of what was still to come. She didn’t know how much more she was going to be able to take. Her normal strength was ebbing away. The physical torture was hard enough but the emotional torture was trying to take its final toll. Her sanity. ‘Oh God, help us.’


	8. Chapter 8

Slowly, Jed regained consciousness. It took him a few minutes but he finally realized where he was and that he still had one arm free.

He pulled the tape from Abbey’s mouth. 

"Jed, where are we? Why did they take us? What are they going to do with us? Are you okay?" Words just tumbled out.

For the first time in hours, Abbey could verbalize her fears.

"I don’t have any answers, Abbey. We have to believe that someone is looking for us. They’ll find us, I’m sure." Although he himself felt hopeless, he still had to put on a brave face.

"What if they don’t?"

Jed’s silence was all the answer Abbey needed.

***

For a while they slept. They had no notion whether it was day or night. 

Abbey stirred first. Jed was on top of her and asleep. His face was battered and cut and his breathing somewhat labored. ‘God, please get us out of here before he dies! They’re going to kill us both if this keeps going on.’

It was unbearably hot and both were profusely sweating. The fan did nothing but stir hot air around.

Jed finally opened his eyes. Abbey was calmer than she had been in some time. That gave him some hope that maybe they would survive until they were rescued. Both Jed and Abbey knew that the Secret Service was tearing the country apart trying to locate them. It was just a matter of surviving until then. 

"Good morning, or whatever time it is." Abbey was trying to make a joke.

"Good morning to you, too. How do you feel?" Jed was very concerned about Abbey’s condition. He used his free hand to gently stroke her face.

"Tired. Some pain. But then I guess you feel the same way."

"Yeah. I’m kind of sore."

"Kind of? Jed, don’t lie to me now. I need to know how you feel."

"I feel like CRAP! Does that satisfy you?" He quickly realized that his anger was directed toward the wrong person. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell."

"I understand. I’m angry at the situation as well."

After a few moments of quiet, Jed asked the question that was bothering him the most. "Abbey, do you think you’re still bleeding?" Jed was unsure how to ask the question, but the blood loss concerned him. 

"I think it’s quit. But I certainly can’t check on it." 

"No, you’re right." He moved to give her a gentle kiss when the door slammed opened.

This time, all four men reappeared. While one held a gun, the other three released Jed from his bonds on the bed, but immediately hurled him against the wall and reapplied all four shackles. 

Abbey screamed, "NO!!"

His situation had again gone from bad to worse. The pain in his back and hand just intensified with the rough movements. Jed trembled from the intense pain racking his body. His knees buckled, placing more strain on his shackled hands.

Then two of the men started to caress and fondle Abbey. 

This time it was Jed’s turn to scream. "Get off of her you fucking bastards!"

All four men laughed. The biggest man turned to face him. "You no save her so you shut up."

Abbey’s heart raced at the thought of being raped again. She started to scream, but a big hand slapped another piece of tape on her mouth. 

"No sweet one, you not say a word. If you won’t make love to the big El Presidente, then we’ll make sure you make love to us. Your government hasn’t responded so it’s my turn now." The lead kidnapper released one leg restraint on Abbey, the better to accomplish his goal. But one of his men held it so it was of no use to her.

The rough fondling and kissing started again. Rough fingers made their way down her nude body. They twisted her nipples until she cried out in pain, although no sound came through. Moving downward, the fingers soon found their desired location. Two, then three large fingers were inserted and twisted around inside her. The pain and bleeding returned with a vengeance. 

Abbey physically reacted in the only way she could. Her twisting and turning only served to increase the kidnapper’s lust. The kidnapper pulled his fingers back and lowered his pants. He was ready and hard. As he forcefully entered her, a muffled scream came from her throat.


	9. Chapter 9

Time passed slowly. 

Both remained shackled in their respective locations. 

Jed, shackled to the wall, having to stand in spite of his injuries and the intense pain which pulsed through his body. The heat was overpowering and he knew they both were becoming severely dehydrated. 

But his main concern remained Abbey. He saw her still tied to the metal bed, with the exception of her left leg, which the lead kidnapper had left undone after he had finished raping her. She was still bleeding, although from Jed’s angle it looked like it had finally slowed down. Her mouth was still taped shut and her eyes were closed, closed Jed hoped because of exhaustion rather than her being unconscious. Or worse.

"Oh God, I got her in this position. This is all my fault. It was me they were after but instead I brought her into this mess." His words fell upon deaf ears. She didn’t stir at any sound.

"Abbey." Jed waited for her to respond. With no response, he tried again, this time a little louder. "Abbey. Wake up."

He waited a few minutes, hoping to get some response from her. After their last attack, she had been unresponsive to any noise or movement in the room. This had angered their kidnappers to the point that they left the room with the vow to return when she regained consciousness. They said that since the United States Government had yet to meet their demands, the President and First Lady would continue to suffer until they did. But Jed knew that meeting those demands would never occur. The United States did not negotiate with terrorists, even when the President’s own life was at stake.

"Abbey." This time was loud enough to wake the dead. He hated that expression. It was such an intellectually inappropriate and illogical thought. "Abbey!" He tried again.

This time he was rewarded with her head rotating back and forth as if she was trying to figure out what was going on.

Shortly, her eyes opened and she turned her head, trying to see clearly which direction Jed’s voice was coming from.

"Hi babe. Are you okay?" His heart broke when she shook her head ‘no’.

"Are you in pain?"

This time she nodded her head ‘yes’. His heart broke again. Her pain was his pain. 

"We’ll be okay, Abbey. We will. I promise." Jed knew that all he was doing was repeating empty words but he had to say something. He had to try and support her. 

"We’ll be found shortly. I know that."

Abbey, unable to speak, continued to stare at him. He knew she knew that he was just speaking empty promises but somehow he had to keep up their spirits.

A few more minutes passed in silence. Jed didn’t know what to say.

All of a sudden he heard a lot of noise outside the room. He knew that in the past when the kidnappers had returned, he had not heard them until after the door was open so this was something different.

Gunfire vibrated off the walls of their prison and for the first time in days, Jed hoped he knew what was going on.

"Abbey, listen to me. I think the cavalry has arrived. Stay with me, Babe. We’re going to get out of here. We’re going home."

Both pairs of eyes turned to the sound as there was a loud blast and the door was slammed to the ground. 

Behind it stood a company of Army Rangers. 

Their ordeal was over. 

They were going home.

Finally.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mr. President, Mrs. Bartlet, we’re really glad to see you."

"Yeah, me too." As his hands and legs were released, he took the offered sheet and quickly went over to the bed and sat down. He pulled Abbey to a sitting position, pulled the tape off her mouth, and then hugged her tightly.

"It’s over, Abbey. It’s over," as he covered her with the sheet offered by the Captain. 

As he was rocking her, Abbey broke into deep sobs. "Is it really?" Abbey was visibly shaking. Her mind couldn’t yet process the end of their ordeal.

"Probably going into shock’ Jed thought. "Yes, sweetheart, it really is." 

"Mr. President, we need to get both of you out of here. We’ll explain everything, but right now we need to get you to a hospital. Here are some clothes you can put on. Can you walk a few yards?"

Jed looked at Abbey and she nodded yes. Every muscle in her body ached but her greatest desire was to get out. Freedom. At last, sweet freedom.

After pulling on his sweat pants and top, Jed pulled the top on Abbey. As he tried to pull up the pants, she flinched. "Hon, it’s okay. It’s me. I won’t hurt you." Abbey looked into his eyes and realized that the trauma was over. They were actually going home.

Nodding, she allowed Jed to pull up the pants, although her bleeding continued.

They both stood up, slightly swaying, finally gaining their balance. Jed braced Abbey against him, feeling her weakness and trying to share her pain. The soldiers left the room, with the President and First Lady following them to freedom.

Just outside the door, Jed felt her knees give way and Abbey collapsed in his arms. Through her tears, she apologized. "I’m sorry, Jed. I can’t go any further."

Jed immediately knelt by his wife, trying to comfort her. "Shh, Abbey. It’s okay."

"Mr. President, if we may?" The captain motioned toward the portable stretcher being unfolded. "We’re prepared to carry her."

Jed nodded and backed off as the soldiers gently placed Abbey on the stretcher and secured her. The Captain motioned to two of the soldiers to carry it. 

"Sir, are you sure you can walk?"

"Yes. I just want to get out of here."

"Yes, sir. Come on. We have a plane to meet."

***

Back at the White House, Leo and CJ burst into cheers at the news they were receiving. Ron even moved his lips in a manner which could be interpreted the same way. Both the President and the First Lady had been recovered alive. Although the extent of the injuries was not yet known, at least they were able to move on their own. 

Thanks to the CIA and the Army Rangers. 

And the President of Columbia had been most helpful as well. 


	11. Chapter 11

On the flight back to the United States, two nurses and the flight surgeon made their initial assessments. 

The President’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening. But he was given a mild sedative due to his overwhelming desire to get up and see about Abbey. It was the surgeon’s only way to maintain any control over his patient.

But the real concern was the First Lady. Abbey had lost a lot of blood and she was slipping in and out of consciousness. Her vitals signs had gotten weaker on the flight home because of the now non-stop bleeding. It had restarted just before their rescue, when one of their captors had twisted his fingers inside her. The flight surgeon had packed the area, but the bleeding continued. 

Each was given IV fluids on the flight. Due to the possibility of aspiration pneumonia, Abbey was started on antibiotics. Jed had been started on IV steroids. The trauma of the kidnapping and the subsequent physical trauma could trigger an MS episode. That was the last thing the doctors wanted.

***

Hours later, early Tuesday morning, the transport landed at Andrews. 

Two ambulances waited to transport the First Couple to Bethesda where a team of physicians awaited their arrival. 

But first, a tall man ran up the back ramp and entered the plane.

"Where is he?"

An agent pointed to the area which had been curtained off. "In there."

Ron pushed the curtain aside. The flight surgeon was directing two soldiers on how to transport the President off the plane.

He was covered in cuts and bruises, grimacing at the slightest movement. An IV in his right arm and a temporary cast on his left hand limited what movement he could make. But he was awake and seemed alert. However, Ron knew there were more serious injuries. He had already received a preliminary report from the agents who had accompanied the transport to Columbia with the hope that they would return with the President and First Lady. 

"Sir?"

Jed looked up to see the head of Presidential Security. "Hi," even as he grimaced at the pain which was still not under complete control.

"Sir, I’m so sorry. If I had come with you last Friday, this would not have happened."

Jed looked around and motioned for the others to leave him alone. Once the curtain was closed, Jed replied. "Ron, listen to me. If you had been there, then you wouldn’t be here now. It was bad, Ron. Real bad. These guys knew what they were doing and nobody was going to come out of it alive. They didn’t have a soul. They killed for the sake of killing. The group could have made the agents unconscious but they chose to kill them. They almost killed us. It wasn’t your fault and even before you say it I won’t accept your resignation so you had better not offer it."

"But sir …"

"Ron, Abbey and I both survived. You helped find us. And we’re home. That’s what important. Now don’t you think you need to get us to the hospital? Abbey’s in pretty bad shape and I don’t feel real good myself."

Ron nodded and opened the curtain so the transfer could continue.

***

The whole world watched as two stretchers were walked off the back of the military transport, and placed in separate ambulances for the trip to the hospital. 

Some very concerned children waited at the hospital to be reunited with parents they hadn’t known if they would ever see again.

***

The President’s ambulance was the first to arrive. His stretcher was taken to the first trauma room. X-rays confirmed his left hand was shattered and would require surgery to repair it. He had five broken ribs but with luck, there had been no puncture of the lungs. Testing determined that his right kidney had been severely damaged during the beatings and would require removal. The cuts and bruises were going to heal at their own pace. All in all, the doctors were relieved that his injuries were not as severe as they could have been. He was admitted with surgery scheduled later in the day. The doctors thought it best if he regained some of his overall strength prior to the stress of surgery.

The second ambulance carried Abbey. She had spent most of the flight unconscious but regained it as her ambulance arrived at the hospital. A surgeon was called in to examine her and make a recommendation. In order to stop the bleeding, immediate surgery was required. The surgeon did not know how much damage had been done or how much reconstruction was possible.


	12. Chapter 12

Dr. Childers, the GYN surgeon who would operate on Abbey, tried to explain to the First Lady just what would be involved. But with her fatigue and weakness, he doubted if she totally understood. So he went to her husband to explain the procedure.

Knock!

"Come in!"

He found the President having a joyous reunion with his children.

"Mr. President, I’m Doctor Childers. I’ll be operating on your wife shortly. I would like to explain what I need to do." He looked anxiously at the three girls. Jed recognized the fact that the doctor needed to speak with him alone.

"Girls, can you leave us alone, for just a minute?"

Liz, Ellie and Zoey were reluctant. 

"It’s about Mom. We have a right to be here."

"Baby, please just step outside. He wants to speak to me privately."

"Dad, we’re all adults here and it is Mom he wants to speak to you about." Liz was adamant as well. They all felt that anything that concerned their mother they had a right to hear.

"I promise I’ll tell you the doctor said. Just step outside for a few minutes. Please."

Looking at each other and then their father, they knew when the order had been given. The girls left reluctantly.

"How’s my wife?"

"Mr. President, Mrs. Bartlet has lost a lot of blood. She’s weak, but I must take her to surgery. That’s the only way to stop the bleeding. Also, I need to tell you when I examined her, the kidnappers did a lot of damage. I won’t know exactly how much and if I can fix it until I get her to the operating room."

"Is she in any pain?"

"Yes, sir. She’s had some pain medicine, but we can’t give her any more right now, because it would interfere with the anesthesia."

"I understand." But it upset Jed to know that Abbey was hurting. As a husband, he wanted to be able to take away all of her pain. But this time, he couldn’t. He hadn’t been able to take away her pain for the past couple of days either.

Jed wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t do Abbey any good. As Dr. Childers turned to go, Jed took a deep breath. He had some parting words. "Dr. Childers?"

"Yes, sir?" He turned back to the President.

"Save her. Save her life. If you have to make a choice, save her life. I want her back. Even if I can’t have her back completely whole, I want her back. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

The doctor paused for a few seconds while the words Jed had just spoken sunk in.

Nodding, he answered, "I understand, sir. I’ll do my best to repair the damage. But I can’t promise you everything."

"That’s all I ask. Just do your best."

Both men stared at each other for a moment longer and then Dr. Childers opened the door and left, already preparing mentally for his surgery.

As the doctor left, Jed contemplated the conversation they just had. He wanted his wife back in any shape the doctors could give him. Jed didn’t need her whole, just alive and with him.


	13. Chapter 13

His own pain, fatigue and trauma finally overwhelmed Jed. He slept fitfully until awakened to be prepared for his own surgery.

"How’s my wife?" were the first words out of his mouth.

"We don’t know, sir. Dr. Childers came up earlier to see you, but he didn’t want to wake you." 

"I want to talk with him before I leave here. Please call him."

"Yes, sir."

Dr. Childers arrived a few minutes later.

"I didn’t wake you. You needed to sleep and there wasn’t anything you could do for Mrs. Bartlet at the time."

"How is she?"

"Well, sir, it was touch and go for a while. She had lost so much blood and was so dehydrated that we couldn’t get her blood pressure back to normal until close to the end. It took three hours just to assess the damage and reconstruct the area. It was severe."

Jed shuddered at the thought. But he knew how it had happened. He had been forced to watch it. He was just glad those bastards were dead.

"What about her recovery?"

"Physically, it’ll be slow. I don’t know if the area will heal completely or regain the normal sensitivity. In fact, there’s a chance that she’ll have to have a second operation. I just won’t know for a few weeks. Emotionally, she’ll most likely have some problems. When women are traumatized like she has been, it’s hard for them to retain their sense of femininity. I have known a few women who were strong enough to overcome this type of injury, but most don’t do well. I’m being very blunt with you, sir. She’s got a rough road ahead." 

‘And so do you’. Dr. Childers left those words unspoken.

The nurses came into the room with a stretcher. "Mr. President, its time."

"Okay. Dr. Childers, will you tell my wife that I love her?"

"Of course, sir. Good luck with your own."

"Thanks. Just take care of Abbey." Jed knew that he had many problems himself, but his thoughts were focused on the health and well-being of his wife.

"I will."


	14. Chapter 14

Jed’s surgery was no picnic. It took four hours to remove his damaged kidney and reconstruct his hand. Pins and a cast would hold the bones together during the healing process.

After a two hour stay in the Recovery Room, he was brought back to the Presidential Suite. 

The girls were waiting on him, anxious to make sure he was okay.

Groggily, he opened his eyes to see three concerned women looking at him. 

"Dad? How are you feeling?" Liz anxiously asked.

Trying to make his parched lips and throat work, he struggled to say "Like crap."

The girls smiled. Their father would be okay. Before they could respond, he had closed his eyes again, the anesthesia still maintaining its control.

He slept for the better part of the next day. There was always one daughter in his room at all times, with another one in ICU. Abbey had developed a mild case of pneumonia and had been placed on a ventilator as a precaution. 

The world waited with them.

***

Slowly Jed awakened. He heard his daughters talking before he could open his eyes.

"Hello." His eyes opened, but they failed to focus on who was in his room. "Is that you, Zoey?"

"Yes, Daddy, I’m here with Liz and Ellie."

Finally Jed was able to focus.

"How are you, Dad?" That had to be Ellie.

"I’m fine. I’m hurting a bit, but otherwise seem to be okay. Is it still Wednesday?"

"No, Dad, it’s Thursday morning." Jed had lost track of the time.

Finally Jed’s brain cleared and his next thought was about Abbey.

"How’s your mother?"

"She’s doing better. Dr. Childers told us that her pneumonia is finally clearing and she might come off the ventilator sometime today."

Jed relaxed slightly to know that Abbey was doing better.

"Great." Jed started to realize that his body was reacting to the trauma. "Can you tell the nurse that I’m in pain?"

"Dad, all you have to do is press this button. It’s a morphine drip that’ll help you with the pain." That was Liz.

Jed realized then that some kind of plastic was in his right hand. He pressed the button and a few moments later got relief. 

"Thanks." Then he drifted back to sleep. He had been through hell and his body demanded its rest.

 

***

He awoke later in the day to noises coming from across the room. He opened his eyes and saw Abbey being transferred to a bed nearby. He wanted to bless whoever had arranged this reunion.

"Abbey?" 

"Yes, Jed, I’m here."

Gingerly, he turned slowly on his side to see for himself. The bruises on her face were turning multi-shades of yellow and purple. Her arms and hands also showed the result of their kidnapping. But there could not be a more beautiful sight. 

"How are you babe?"

"Glad to be here with you. Glad to be home." 

Jed knew exactly what she meant.


	15. Chapter 15

Over the next hours both Jed and Abbey slept. It gave each of them some peace to know the other one was nearby and to know that they had survived a horrible experience.

Jed knew his recovery would take some time. But he was more concerned about Abbey. She had undergone major physical and emotional trauma, first at the hands of the kidnappers and then with the reconstructive surgery. Dr. Childers had checked her before she left the ICU, but the swelling was so bad he couldn’t determine the results of the surgery. Only when the tissues healed and the swelling decreased could he get an accurate assessment.

Leo came by to see how they were doing. But Jed could not express his fears for his wife. She had already undergone enough anguish that he didn’t want to overwhelm her with his fears. So the talk centered around what had gone on during their absence and how Russell was doing as Acting President.

Finally, Leo recognized that they were tiring and excused himself back to the White House.

***

Later in the day, Jed was taken off his morphine drip. But he wasn’t happy.

"I’m still hurting. The pills aren’t doing crap. Can’t I keep the drip for a little while longer?"

The nurse started to respond when a snicker was heard from across the room. Jed turned his head to see his wife smiling and trying to suppress her laughter.

"You think this is fun? You want to see me in pain, don’t you?"

"No, sweetness, I don’t. But I do find it amusing that you can’t throw your authority around here." 

"I’m the President. I get anything I want. I can order my doctor to put it back in."

"No, you can’t."

"Why not?"

"First, because for once someone has more authority than you do in this particular situation. And, secondly, and most importantly, I agree with the decision."

"You?"

"Yeah, me. Want to challenge that?"

"No." Jed’s determination just deflated.

"Then go to sleep."

"Still bossing me?"

"Yeah."

Trying not to smile, he laid back and closed his eyes. He was ecstatic. Abbey was getting better. Maybe she would be okay.


	16. Chapter 16

By Friday afternoon, the nurses came in to help the President out of bed for the first time. 

Abbey had already been in a chair earlier in the day and kept commenting how great it was. But Jed wasn’t looking forward to it.

The nurses instructed the President to swing his legs over the side of the bed, rest a minute and then with their assistance, stand. They would then help him to the chair.

"Shit, it hurts."

"Yes, sir." The two nurses smiled at the fact that the President of the United States was actually human and acting like any patient getting out of bed for the first time after surgery.

"Can’t you give me anything? This is going to hurt like hell."

"Jed, quit whining and get out of bed." Laughter was coming from the other side of the room.

Jed looked over at his wife who was having the time of her life. It was good to hear laughter from Abbey, even at his expense.

"You’ll pay for this, Abigail."

"Jed, just suck it up and get out of bed." Abbey was really enjoying the scene.

"Oh shut up."

Gradually, the nurses helped Jed swing his legs over and he sat on the side of the bed for a few minutes. Every movement brought a grimace to his face. But eventually he felt ready to stand.

"Let’s do this." Tentatively, he put his feet on the floor. He shrugged off the nurses’ help and stood up. 

Well, that was his intent. Instead, he crumpled into a pile on the floor.

"Jed!"

"Mr. President!"

Two voices yelled at the same time.

The second nurse ran from the room to get some help.

"Abbey, I’m okay. I just can’t feel my feet."

"You can’t what?"

Jed looked at Abbey and realized what he had just said. "I can’t feel my feet."


	17. Chapter 17

Two orderlies came and lifted the President back into bed. The nurses checked him for any injuries but found none. But when they touched his feet, there was no response. 

"Mr. President, can you feel me touching you?"

"No." Jed’s reply was barely audible.

"Okay, we’ll be right back."

He turned to look at Abbey. The unspoken words formed on both of their lips. MS?

Jed laid his head back on the pillow. "No, it can’t be. We’ve already gone through so much. Please God, not this, not now."

"Jed, just calm down. Until some tests are run, you know it could be most anything."

"Abbey, I’ve been on steroids since we were brought home. I thought I had gotten past the threat."

Jed looked up to his doctor standing in front of him. 

"Mr. President, let me check this out before you worry. There could be a very logical explanation for this problem. Your body has had a lot of trauma to it. So let’s just check it out. Okay?"

"Okay." Jed, though, knew what was wrong. Doctors and their damn tests. Yes, his body had been through a lot. But he also knew there could be no other explanation.

"First thing I want to do is get some blood work done and then a CT scan of your back. Then we’ll see where that leads us."

After the doctor left, Jed turned to Abbey and saw her worried face. "I know what you’re going to say, Abbey. Just don’t. I don’t want to hear ‘You’ll be all right’. If anything can bring on an episode, it is the events of the past week."

"No, Jed. I wasn’t going to say that. I was going to say we’ll get through this together, just as we always have. I love you and I wish I could hold you right now." Tears were forming in Abbey’s eyes.

Jed wanted to hold her as well. "I love you, too. Maybe things will be all right." 

But Jed didn’t believe his own words. Nothing had been right this whole damn week.

The nurse came in with an orderly and a stretcher. She drew the blood, then motioned for the orderly to assist the President onto the stretcher. As the stretcher rolled by Abbey’s bed, Jed threw her a kiss. "See you soon, hon."


	18. Chapter 18

Dr. Childers came to check on Abbey while Jed was gone. He wanted to give the First Lady some privacy for the discussion he had to have with her.

"Mrs. Bartlet, how are you doing?"

"I have some pain. I’m getting pain shots about every four to six hours. Is that normal?"

"Yes. And you’ll probably be discharged with pills. The surgery was extensive and you’ll probably have some pain for the next few weeks."

"Will I go home with this catheter?"

"Yes. The catheter will stay about two more weeks, depending on the healing process."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"Yes, ma’am. We have to allow the tissues to heal. But I have a couple of items to talk about with you. This is the first time I have discussed these with you because you were certainly not focused when you arrived, and then with your pneumonia, you were kept sedated until the breathing tube came out."

"Yes?" 

"The circumstances surrounding your injury require some additional testing. We need to do a baseline HIV test as well as check for other possible sexually transmitted diseases. We’ll then repeat the HIV test in 3 months. I’ll need your permission for the testing."

Abbey gasped. The terrible realization that her ordeal could be only intensifying hit her hard. "My God. I hadn’t even considered HIV and STDs. Yes, of course. Where do I sign?"

"Right here." 

After Abbey had signed the release, Dr. Childers brought up the second item he wanted to discuss. "You’re aware of the extensive nature of your injury. Many women find it difficult to have a resume a normal intimacy pattern after such an injury. I would like you to speak with our hospital psychiatrist and allow her to help you through the recovery process. She’s a specialist in sexual trauma."

Her brain told her that was his job, but her heart refused to believe that she would have a problem. She and Jed had such a strong relationship. She knew she would get through this fine without any outside help.

"Thank you very much for the offer. But I’ll be fine. I’m a physician and I know how to deal with these issues. My husband and I love each other very much."

"I really think it’s the best thing to do." 

"I don’t," Abbey replied defensively.

Dr. Childers shook his head. The First Lady was strong but the impact of what had happened to her was stronger.

"Well, then please take this card. And don’t hesitate to give her a call. Many women need help and Dr. Walls has had great success with getting them through the rough times." 

Abbey accepted the card but knew a phone call was never going to be needed. Their relationship was based on love and love for each other would see them through the healing process.


	19. Chapter 19

About an hour later, Jed returned. It took another fifteen minutes before his doctor came with the news.

"Sir, the CT scan showed severe swelling in your lower back. This is probably due to the surgery and the fact that you were hit repeatedly in that location during your captivity. I verified with a neurologist that this is the probable explanation for your temporary paralysis. Neither he nor I feel you have relapsed with MS."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Sir, there was significant swelling of the soft tissue around your lower spine. So we’re as sure as we can be. But you should have return of full function in the next few days."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Jed. Listen to what the doctor is telling you." Abbey sighed with relief.

"I can hear very well. But I have to know for sure."

Inwardly, the doctor smiled. This sounded like almost any married couple in America. But outwardly, he maintained his professional composure.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you. When can we go home?"

"I can’t speak for Mrs. Bartlet, but you can leave when you can walk from your room to the nurse’s station. And not a moment before." 

"Well, let’s get started."

"Jed!"

"Only kidding, Abbey." Jed smiled. He had just wanted to know that she was still listening. He knew better than to get up right now. He would stay in bed until he had complete feeling return to his legs. The floor was not his favorite place. And it was not a pleasant experience to be thrown around like a sack of potatoes. 

***

Three days later Abbey was ready to sign Jed out herself. He had become the most ornery, complaining patient she had ever seen. Maybe this shared room business was not the best arrangement. And she was the one who had requested it.

"You’re the worst patient I have ever known."

"I feel trapped. I mean I hate hospitals anyway and it’s been almost a week since we arrived. I have to get back to work. You know, running the country. Russell can only do it for so long."

"Jed, Robert is doing a good job and Leo is keeping you updated on the more important decisions. You still get your briefings so what’s the problem?"

"I just want out."

"Okay! Okay! Quit whining. I’ll ask Dr. Childers if I’m ready. And you ask your doctor. It’s not like you don’t have access to medical care around the clock."

"Great! Now where is that call button?"

The next day, Dr. Childers discharged Abbey home with the stipulation that she be monitored by the White House medical staff. Her follow-up appointment was scheduled for a week later.

Jed maneuvered his exit in his normal manner—he said he was leaving if he wasn’t discharged. His doctor just gave up and signed the order.

***

After a warm welcome from the staff, they headed directly to the Residence, quickly returning to bed. Their bed. They were so grateful at just being alive and on the road to recovery that they instantly fell asleep. 

Later that evening, both awoke, finding that they had snuggled together. It had been almost two weeks since they had slept together in the same bed. 

Total recovery was still weeks away but it was good to be back together. 

And home. 


	20. Chapter 20

Over the next week, both rested. Jed took back the Presidency but limited his involvement to only absolutely required meetings. He tried to go to the office for a few hours each day, but Leo and Charlie brought most of the work to him. It was taking time to regain his strength. Abbey kept herself busy with her paperwork and catching up on her ‘fun’ reading.

"Jed, did you know that most men have no sex drive after 60?"

"That’s not true."

"Well, it says that right here in this magazine. <i>Cosmopolitan</i> is just full of interesting tidbits like this."

"Why aren’t you reading one of your medical journals?"

"Because this is much more fun."

"Well, I can show you how much sex drive men over 60 have." He leaned over and tried to plant a kiss on her lips but she pushed him away.

"No, Jed. You haven’t gotten medical clearance and neither have I. Dr. Childers says it might be months before I can do anything."

"What!?" This was the first Jed knew about this. "Months?"

"Yes," she replied quietly.

"Abbey, how long have you known this?"

"Dr. Childers told me the day before discharge. You were out of the room taking one of your many walks."

"Don’t you think you could have told me?"

"Well, the subject never came up."

Jed looked at Abbey in disbelief. "You didn’t think it was important to tell your husband things like this?"

"I was going to tell you at some point. I really was. But I never found the right time."

Jed thought back to that horrible time in Columbia and decided to just let this ride. He wasn’t ready and he certainly didn’t want to push Abbey right now. She had been through enough.

"That’s okay," were the only words he said. Jed would be a patient man.

***

At her follow-up appointment, Dr. Childers examined Abbey. Initial healing was complete. The swelling had gone down so he pulled the catheter. He then told her that the tests for HIV and other STDs were negative, but she would have to have another one in three months. He asked her how Jed was handling her recovery. She said he was being very patient. 

"I told you we had a special relationship."

"Yes, ma’am."

***

When Abbey got home, Jed asked how the appointment had gone. 

"Everything’s fine, hon. Dr. Childers said I was healing and wouldn’t have to have another surgery."

"I’m glad about that. You’ve been through so much already."

Jed reached to hug her, but she pulled away.

"What’s wrong, Abbey?"

"It’s just too soon." She walked away from him and turned on the shower. She was confused about what had just happened. All Jed was trying to do was comfort her.

Jed approached and opened the shower door. This was the first time he had seen her without clothes in a couple of weeks. The bruises were finally healing although they had now turned an ugly brown. In spite of his recent medical issues, his physical response to her started to manifest itself.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m just fine Jed. Now, close the door."

"Sure," as he stepped in to share the water with her. At his touch, she started to tremble. 

"NO! GET OUT!" She pushed him up against the tile wall.

"Abbey, what the hell is going on?"

"Jed, just please get out." By this time a shocked Abbey took a step backwards as her tears mixed with the water. 

Reluctantly, Jed left her alone. He dried off, put on his sweats and got into bed.

When Abbey came out of the bathroom, she stopped and stared at her husband who was patting her side of the bed. "Abbey, come over here. I love you and just want to be near you. I won’t try anything. As you remind me, I haven’t been cleared and neither have you."

Fighting tears, she shook her head. "No, I’m going to the guest bedroom. I just need to be alone."

Before Jed could say anything, she was gone. Confused, Jed sighed. ‘Is this related to the kidnapping or her surgery? I know she’s been through a lot. I was there too. But why, when we need each other the most, why is she turning away from me? I can only help her if she lets me.’


	21. Chapter 21

Three nights later Jed had still not been able to get Abbey to talk to him about what was bothering her. ‘Hell, I know what’s bothering her but she needs to talk about it. Keeping it bottled up is not helping the healing process.’

As she gathered up her book and glasses to go to the guest bedroom, Jed stood in front of the door and refused to let her pass.

"You’re not going anywhere until we talk."

"There’s nothing to talk about. Move please."

Jed stepped forward and raised his arms to hug her, but saw her visibly shrink away from him. "Abbey, I know you’re hurting. Talking will help. You can’t deny your emotions. It will only destroy you."

She looked into his eyes and he recognized the cold fury behind them. "I said I don’t want to t-a-l-k. Now move."

Swallowing hard, he continued to press her. "Abbey, it’s been almost three weeks since our kidnapping. I know you’re still hurting, both physically and emotionally. If you won’t talk with me, then let me call Stanley. Hell, I’ll call the Pope if you’ll talk with him about what happened. I was there, Abbey. I know what those bastards did to you. And I couldn’t help you. God knows I wanted to but I couldn’t. Please talk with me sweetheart. You’ll feel better if you do."

Jed held his breath while Abbey continued to stare at him after he finished his words.

She turned away for a minute. When she turned back, her eyes were even colder. But Jed could see the tears trying to form in her eyes as well.

"Jed, I don’t want to talk about it. Talking about it will only make me keep remembering the horror. And I want to forget. I want to forget the pain. The fear. The fact that I was raped and torn apart in more than a physical way. Do you understand how violated I feel? How dirty? How can you even want to be around me? I don’t know when, if ever, I can ever be worthy of you."

"Oh God, Abbey. I love you. I want you. Isn’t that enough? Our love is strong enough to get us through this."

"NO! I can’t ever have you again. What damage the bastards didn’t do themselves, the surgery has only intensified. Didn’t you get it when Dr. Childers said that the damage was severe? I can’t ever again be the woman you married. Never. First ‘I’ have to come to terms with this fact and then make some decisions. I can’t do that if I sleep in our bed. Your bed. And no matter how hard you try, you can’t be part of the decision process. Now please move."

By this time tears were flowing down her face. Jed reached up to wipe them away only to have Abbey turn her head away from his reach.

"Abbey, don’t do this. We’ll make any decisions together. That’s what husbands and wives do."

"Jed, I can never be your real wife again."

In shock, Jed watched her walk around him and open the door. He didn’t try to stop her.

His heart was breaking at her words. As he watched her walk away from him, he also knew now that his help would do nothing to help her recovery along. 

But he didn’t know what to do. Maybe Leo would.


	22. Chapter 22

It took a week, but finally the opportunity to talk with his best friend presented itself.

"Sir, you seem a bit preoccupied."

"Uh?" Jed looked up from his desk at his Chief of Staff. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I’ve asked you the same question three times and I’ve gotten no response. What’s on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Mr. President, I know when something’s on your mind."

"Damn, Leo, can’t you call me Jed? I mean it’s eight o’clock at night and we’re by ourselves in the office." Jed’s anger was reaching the boiling point.

"Yes, sir." Leo turned to leave, knowing whatever was on the President’s mind he obviously didn’t want to talk about it right now.

"Leo, wait. I’m sorry. I apologize. My anger is not directed toward you."

Leo turned, knowing that what Jed needed right now was a friend. "Wanna talk?"

"Yeah. How about getting me a beer and we’ll sit in your office and talk. I need a neutral location right now." He stood up, took off his jacket, loosened his tie, walked into the Chief of Staff’s office and flopped down on the sofa.

"Thanks," as Leo handed him the beer from the Oval Office refrigerator and sat down in his high back chair with a bottle of juice, waiting for his best friend to talk. 

After a few moments of silence, which Jed spent looking at the pattern on the sofa, he finally spoke.

"It’s Abbey. It’s been three weeks since our discharge from the hospital and she still won’t let me touch her."

"Sir, you told me that her surgery was extensive and the doctor said it would take time to heal."

"Hell, Leo. I know that. I didn’t mean she won’t give me sex. I haven’t been cleared and neither has she. What I’m talking about is just touching. She won’t let me hold her, any kissing has to be done briefly and almost long distance, and more nights than not, she sleeps in the guest bedroom, afraid of lying next to me."

"Oh."

"I don’t know what to do. All I want is to hold her, to feel her hair on my cheek, to feel her heart beating next to mine, her warmth next to me. Is that too much to ask?"

"Have you talked it over with her?"

"How the hell can I talk it over with her when she won’t talk about it? Every time I bring up the subject she either changes the subject quickly or she gets up and leaves the room. Maybe I’m pushing her too soon. She’s certainly has had a lot to deal with and maybe I should just lay back and say nothing."

Leo knew it was a rhetorical question.

"I love her so much Leo. All during the time of our captivity I was more concerned about her, her well-being. It was tough, Leo. In fact it was hell. I didn’t know if I would make it and Abbey was certainly getting the worse part of the experience."

Although Leo had seen the reports, this was the first time that Jed had spoken about their time in Columbia.

"She was caught in the situation because of me. And I couldn’t do a damn thing to help her. I watched as those bastards messed with her, raped her. I watched her almost bleed to death. I watched her lose consciousness several times and I didn’t know if she would wake up. If that would be the last time I saw her eyes, her soul. She almost died down there and I couldn’t do a damn thing to save her. It was all my fault. Those people were after me, not Abbey. I led her into the trap and it was through my actions that she’s in the shape she’s in.

"Now, all I want to do is to hold her, comfort her, protect her. When I get up in the middle of the night and go check on her, I hear her whimpering in her sleep, like she’s reliving that time. I try to comfort her and even in her sleep she pulls away. What do I do? I’m trying to be patient. I really am. But I need her, Leo. We need each other."

"Sir?"

Jed glared at Leo.

"Jed, I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve never been in a situation where my loved ones were involved in such terror. I think patience is the key here. Her terror is not going to go away anytime soon. You both were traumatized beyond anyone’s experience. What’s the saying---‘time heals all wounds’? In this case I think the saying is right. Abbey seems to be recovering. She’s on her first overnight trip since your rescue and that’s a good sign, isn’t it? She’s resuming her professional life and in time she’ll resume her personal life."

Jed looked at his best friend as one tear worked its way out his eye and made a channel down his face.

"God, I hope so Leo. I love her so much and I want to be there for her if she’ll let me."

"Do you want to talk with Stanley? I’m sure he could give you some suggestions."

Almost too quickly Jed yelled, "NO! I don’t need a goddamn shrink. I’m handling this fine. It’s Abbey who’s having trouble dealing with this."

Leo sat back, a little stunned at the intensity of Jed’s answer. Quietly, he answered. "Okay. Then all I can say is give her time. Patience, Jed. Patience. Things will work out." 

"I hope so. Leo. I truly hope so."


	23. Chapter 23

The next day Jed decided to do something he wouldn’t normally do. But then this was not normal circumstances.

"Debbie, do I have a few minutes before my next appointment?"

"Yes, sir. I think it’s about fifteen before the Senator arrives. Can I get something for you?"

"No. Just close the door and keep all calls out until I let you know."

"Sir, if there’s something I can do for you, just tell me."

Nervously Jed looked at the card in his hand and shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I have to make a private call."

"Very well, sir. You won’t be disturbed for fifteen minutes."

"Thanks." Jed watched as the door was shut. He knew there would be no interruptions from that door and Leo was up at the Hill with Josh working on the wording on the Budget. So he knew he would have complete privacy.

He picked up the phone and punched in the numbers, waiting for the person on the other end to answer.

"Yes, may I speak with the Doctor?"

"Who’s calling, please?"

"It’s the Pres…its Jed Bartlet. Dr. Childers has been caring for my wife."

"Yes, sir. Just a minute while I get the doctor to the phone."

"Yes, yes. I’ll wait."

Within seconds, Dr. Childers picked up the phone. "Yes, Mr. President, is something wrong with Mrs. Bartlet?"

"Nothing physically. At least not that I know of. But I’m calling to see if you might have any suggestions on how to deal with her emotional state."

"What is she acting like?"

Jed described the tenseness, the chill, the tears, the sleeping outside of their bedroom. 

"And Doctor, she said something that troubled me."

"What was that?"

"She said she could never be a real wife to me again. Is the damage so bad that we’ll never, I mean…"

Dr. Childers ended Jed’s obvious discomfort. "Sir, that’s her emotions speaking. From what I have seen on her exams, she’s healing nicely. Slowly, but I don’t anticipate that kind of outcome. Her words and behavior are not abnormal given the trauma she’s undergone. Not only with the injury, but also with the surgery. I expected something like this. Do you know if she has called the number I gave her for help?"

"A number? You mean you have already talked with her and urged her to get help?"

"Yes, sir. Right after she was transferred to your room. You were not there the first time we discussed getting her some help. And I mentioned it again prior to her discharge. Didn’t she tell you we had already discussed it?"

"No. I knew nothing about it. But I’ll make her call, Doctor. She needs help."

"Sir, I must warn you against making her do anything she’s not ready for. To force her to get help when she’s not yet ready to accept the help, that could upset her even more."

"But she’s hurting. Maybe not physically, but emotionally she’s been traumatized and she needs outside help. I’ve tried but she keeps pushing me away. She won’t let me get near enough to her to even get her talking."

"Yes, sir. I understand your pain and frustration. But again, to force her now could harm her even more. In time, she’ll be ready and then she’ll be able to accept the help and get better."

Jed sighed. He knew the doctor was correct. Abbey was not ready for the discussion that would begin the healing process and he sure didn’t want to hurt her even more than she was already hurting.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Be patient. Be ready to talk when she’s ready. In time, she’ll know when it’s the right time. And sir, I sense your love for her. Continue to love her. In time, she’ll be better. I’ve seen this process too many times. With your love, your understanding, and your patience, she will recover."

"Thank you for your time. And please, never let her know we talked. She’s kind of private sometimes."

Dr. Childers laughed. "I understand, Mr. President. This conversation never happened."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"You’re welcome, Mr. President. Goodbye."

Jed put down the phone and stared at the desktop for a few seconds. Patience. Apparently he was doing the right thing. 

"Debbie!!"

"Yes, sir?" as she opened the door to the Oval Office.

"What’s next?"


	24. Chapter 24

Finally the day Jed had been waiting for arrived. 

Three months after their return, both Abbey and Jed finally received medical clearance to resume the more intimate side of their relationship. And better news, her three months follow-up HIV test had come back negative. 

"That’s great news Abbey."

"Yeah."

"What’s wrong? This is GREAT news."

Abbey turned and left the room. Jed just shook his head and went back to work. ‘When will this end?’ He was totally frustrated. 

Jed had been patient with her tears and her sleeping in the guest room. A few times she had fallen asleep in their bed before he got back to the Residence. Even those times, somehow she made sure she was as far away from him as she could be, her back turned to him. She jumped whenever he touched her. When he tried to hug her, he felt the tenseness, the chill. It tore him apart for her to be so scared of him, but he wanted to give her plenty of time. He just figured she did not want to encourage something they both weren’t ready for. 

However, tonight was different. Tonight was the night they could show their love for each other for the first time since their release. And he hoped that that would bring her back to him. It had been a lonely three months.

Jed ordered a special dinner surprise for Abbey. He even left the office early to personally supervise the placement of the flowers, the candles and the music.

Waiting for her arrival from the East Wing was hard. He was anxious to hold his wife once again. To be intimate again with the only person that had ever mattered to him.

Abbey entered the bedroom and kicked off her shoes. With a sigh, she sat down on the bed and began to take off her hose.

She noticed some motion out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw Jed coming toward her dressed in a tux and holding a long-stemmed red rose.

"Abbey, my love. I have a surprise for you." He held out his hand and pulled her gently from the bed. 

He guided her out the door and down the hall to the family dining room. As he opened the door, Abbey stood there in shock. The room was covered in candles and red roses, with their favorite Sinatra music playing in the background. 

"Jed,…I can’t…"

"That’s okay, Abbey. You don’t have to say anything. I wanted to show you how much I have missed you these past months and how grateful I am to have the opportunity to do this for you."

He turned her to face him and began to kiss her. His tongue forced itself into her mouth. But he felt her tense. He pulled out and looked at his wife. "Abbey, what’s wrong?"

She cast her eyes downward and let her tears fall to the carpet. 

He took her chin and raised it so he could look at her eyes. Instead of the clear, emerald colored eyes he expected, they were dark and wide with fear.

"Abbey, its okay. Really, honey. I assumed you were ready. If you’re not, then that’s fine. How about dinner?"

Her lips moved, but he didn’t hear her. 

"Abbey?"

With tears flooding down her face, she spoke a little louder the second time. "I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready."


	25. Chapter 25

The next day, Abbey called for an appointment with Dr. Childers. It was time to start the healing. She could finally see the pain that her anguish was putting them both through. And it was time she took back control of her life. ‘All’ aspects of her life.

"Dr. Childers, I don’t understand. Jed has been so patient with me and a part of me was ready. But I just froze and the terror I felt during the time we were held captive came back stronger than ever. I guess I feared that the pain would come back. A part of me knows that Jed would never do that to me, but the terror overwhelmed any logical thinking."

"Yes, ma’am. You’ve gone through a couple of traumatic incidences. First, the brutal actions of your captors, and then the almost total reconstruction of a part of your body which holds the key to your femininity. Either one of them is enough for you to feel this way, but the two of them together has forced you to push down your confidence and your fear of it happening all over has become your primary feeling. When you were discharged, do you remember the card I gave you, for Dr. Walls?"

"Yes."

"I think you’re ready to talk with her and have her help you sort out your fears. Would you like to call her right now?"

Abbey nodded. "I need help. It’s not fair to Jed for me to continue like this."

"It’s not fair to you either."

***

Abbey set up a private meeting with Dr. Walls in the Residence one afternoon. Jed was out of the country and wouldn’t be back for a week. Abbey figured if the meeting didn’t work out, then Jed would never need to know it had even taken place.

Dr. Walls was a tall, red-haired woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties. She smiled as Abbey greeted her at the study door.

"Dr. Walls, please come in. I’m glad you could come."

"Yes, ma’am." Dr. Walls walked in and stood next to a big, leather chair. She waited until Abbey sat down before she made herself comfortable.

"Mrs. Bartlet, may I call you Abigail?"

"Please call me Abbey. I think you will be getting to know me quite well, so first names are more appropriate."

"Yes, ma’am."

Dr. Walls didn’t waste any time getting to the point.

"I have talked with Dr. Childers and understand the nature of your injury and reconstruction. I am also aware of some of the facts regarding how the injury occurred. However, I will need to know many more details. I know at times it will be difficult, but in order to help you, I need to understand the context of everything that’s happened."

Abbey looked at her and nodded. She knew that the more intimate details of her captivity would have to be shared. But she also knew how hard it was going to be to relive those awful days.

"Fine. Just start telling me everything from the time you left here that evening."


	26. Chapter 26

The intensive sessions with Dr. Walls were draining Abbey’s strength. 

During each daily two to three hour session she had to relive every detail, every emotion, and every thing that those bastards had done to her. 

She had to relive the look of horror on Jed’s face each time those bastards had raped her. The agony when each of them entered her and tore her apart. The smug look of satisfaction when they had finished with her. The worry about the bleeding and would it ever stop. The fear of what they would do the next time they entered the room. The fear of waiting for the blood tests to come back. The horror that maybe they had given her a life threatening illness. 

She had to relive the screams that came from Jed’s mouth as their captors beat him unconscious while he lay on top of her. She could still hear them in her head, especially at night. She knew the agony that he must have gone through. And she couldn’t help him.

And she had to relive the fear that they both would die. The fear that they wouldn’t be rescued. 

Then she had to deal with the emotions that she felt when Dr. Childers had vividly described her injuries and what the reconstruction entailed. He thought she couldn’t understand him. But she knew what he said. She knew only too well. The fears of not being a whole woman, of not being able to please her husband, of involuntarily closing an essential part of her life.

It took every bit of her strength to face all these very real emotions and learn to deal with them. Several times Dr. Walls had to stop to allow Abbey to regain her composure.

"Abbey, I know this is hard for you. But you have to get this out in the open. Denial is poison. It only allows the horrible things that you experienced to fester and contaminate your psyche until it shuts you completely down."

"God, I know that. I know that as a doctor but this happened to me. Denial has been a safety measure for me. I didn’t have to remember what those bastards did to me."

"Yes, ma’am. But until you get them out in the open, they will only do you harm. How is your husband dealing with this? Wasn’t he seriously injured as well?"

"Yes, he was. But he’s been so supportive of me these last few months I’m sure he’s dealing with this just fine."

"Have you talked with him? I mean you both shared common experiences, both had some severe injuries. So how has he been dealing with his emotions?"

Abbey paused a moment to think about what Dr. Walls had just said. She had assumed Jed had gotten some help because he never had broken down in front of her. But they had never talked about it.

"I don’t really know. I’m been so busy keeping my walls erected, erected to shut him and everybody else out so I wouldn’t be hurt again, that I haven’t talked with him about it."

"If the President needs to talk, I’ll be glad to offer some referrals. We have the best psychiatric staff at Bethesda and as always, it will be kept confidential."

"Thanks. He’s out of the country right now but when he gets back, maybe I’ll have to strength to talk to him about it. I have certainly ruined his life the past few months, but now that I’m getting better maybe I can offer him some support. He’s really been right by my side this whole time. At least the few times I would let him."

"Yes ma’am. Now let’s get back to your situation."

As the sessions progressed, Abbey realized they were doing her some good, and only hoped that in the end she’d be able to face Jed with the confident sexuality she’d had before all this occurred.


	27. Chapter 27

Jed came back from his overseas trip a few hours early. He had asked the staff not to tell Abbey because he wanted to surprise her.

He returned to the White House and asked where Abbey was. His agent told him she was having a meeting in his study in the Residence. 

‘That’s strange,’ he thought. ‘Abbey usually has meetings in the sun porch if she has upstairs meetings at all.

"I’ll be right back," nodding at Leo. "I need to see what’s going on."

***

He turned the knob and as soon as he opened the door, realized that he had interrupted something very personal.

"Hi, Abbey," as he crossed the floor toward her. It was obvious she had been crying. The second person in the room stood up with surprise on her face. 

Jed placed a gentle kiss on Abbey’s cheek and placed his arm around her waist as he turned to introduce himself to this stranger. For once, she didn’t tense at his touch.

"You’re back early."

"Yes, hon. I asked that you not be told so I could surprise you. And it looks like I did." Jed kept looking at the stranger in his private study.

"Abbey, do you want to introduce me to your friend?"

"Jed, this is Dr. Elizabeth Walls. She’s a psychiatrist at Bethesda specializing in sexual trauma. I’ve been meeting with her this past week on the recommendation of Dr. Childers."

Abbey was relieved she was able to get through the introductions at least.

"Nice to meet you. Jed Bartlet." Jed offered his hand.

"Yes, sir. Glad to meet you. Abbey, I think our session for today is finished. I’ll be back on Monday. Okay?"

As Abbey nodded her head, Dr. Walls turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.


	28. Chapter 28

Jed turned to Abbey with questions in his eyes.

"Abbey?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn’t you tell me about this? I could have supported you."

"Jed, this is something I have to do myself. I have to come to terms with what happened to me, both in Columbia and then the surgery. You have to know that both were traumatic. Dr. Childers said each on their own was enough to traumatize most women, but to have two linked forever in my mind, then it was going to be tough enough to deal with it without help. Dr. Walls specializes in helping women like me who have had the same type of reconstructive surgery. And she is also board-certified in trauma therapy."

"Well, I think that’s great that you’re getting help," his flat tone in sharp contrast to his words of support.

He turned and walked down the hall to their sitting room. She followed him, trying to understand his response.

"Jed, I thought you would be happy for me. You don’t seem that happy." Abbey paused a moment while she thought. "You haven’t talked to anyone, have you?"

Jed turned quickly and shook his head. "No, I don’t need to talk to anyone. I’m fine."

"Are you really?"

Jed just looked at her. It didn’t take long for him to break down. Abbey took him into her arms and just hugged him as he sobbed. 

"Maybe you need to," she responded quietly.

"Abbey," as he raised his head to look into her eyes. "I thought I was okay until I saw you with Dr. Walls. A person has to be strong to ask for help. You’re strong, Abbey. I’m weak. I couldn’t help you in Columbia. I couldn’t talk to you about this in the hospital. And I couldn’t talk to you once we got home. I avoided you. That way, I could forget that I was helpless in the face of such horror that was done to you. I was helpless to console you when the damage was done and helpless to comfort you when it had to be corrected. 

"I know you, Abbey. I know how much your sexuality means to you. I know how much you and I want to please each other. But I couldn’t, I wouldn’t bring the topic up. It was much safer just to ignore it. To place all the burden on you."

Abbey hugged Jed tightly as his sobs eventually faded away. She stroked his hair to calm him down, just like she had done to calm the girls down when they were much younger.

"Shh, it’ll be okay." She had never thought she was going to be the one to console her husband after all of her problems from the last few months.

Jed pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "I make you this promise, Abbey. I promise that tomorrow I’ll call Stanley and we’ll talk. And we’ll keep on talking until I’m fine. I love you so much Abbey. I don’t want to lose you. And I want to be able to show how much I love you."


	29. Chapter 29

"Stanley, it was horrible. I couldn’t help Abbey at all. Not while we were captured nor in the weeks since. She’s had to go through her recovery process alone."

"Mr. President, let’s review the events of the kidnapping and confinement."

Jed didn’t answer.

"Sir, were you are any time not supervised by someone with a gun?"

Jed still gave no answer.

"Sir, I repeat, did you at any time have the freedom to do anything on your own?"

Jed met Stanley’s gaze and quietly shook his head. "No."

"Were you at any time able to get away from the gunmen prior to being drugged?"

"No."

"Were you at any time during your captivity able to go to your wife and give her protection from the gunmen?"

"No."

"Based on your serious injuries, were you at any time able to be with your wife prior to or directly after her surgery?"

"No."

"After your discharge from the hospital, were you still dealing with your own nightmares and fears from the captivity?"

"Yes. But I should…"

"Should what?"

"I should have done something to help her. But I couldn’t."

"Sir, are you human?"

Jed looked at Stanley with amazement. "What did you just ask? Am I human? Stanley, that’s a stupid question."

"No sir. It’s not stupid. Answer me, ‘Are you human?’ Are you subject to the same fears and concerns like every other human being?"

"Yes, Stanley. I’m human. And I have the same fears and concerns like every other human."

"Sir, then why can’t you understand that your emotions about the captivity that you and Mrs. Bartlet experienced and the subsequent recovery period prevented you from comforting your wife? That you were experiencing similar fears that your wife had and couldn’t deal with hers until you dealt with your own?"

Jed gazed over to the blazing fire, trying to comprehend what Stanley was saying. "Are you trying to tell me that I couldn’t help Abbey until I helped myself?"

"Exactly."

"And by dealing with my fears by ignoring them, then I couldn’t take on her fears as well and give her the comfort she needed?"

"Exactly."

"Then teach me how to deal with my fears so I can give support to her. I love her Stanley and I want our relationship back."

Stanley grinned. "Exactly."

And the talking continued.


	30. Chapter 30

A month later, Jed repeated his surprise dinner. 

"Are you hungry?"

Abbey turned to her husband and smiled. "I’m hungry for you."

"I’ve been waiting for you to say those very words." Jed kissed her and led her back to their bedroom.

Jed wondered if they could do this. After all that had happened, were they going to be able to return to normal? There was only one way to find out.

Closing the door behind them, Jed slowly walked over to Abbey, who had stopped by the bed. After slowly unzipping her dress, he slipped it off her shoulders, placing little kisses along the prominence of her shoulders. The slip followed as his hands gently wrapped around her body, flicking the hooks on her bra. As it fell to the floor, he looked lovingly at her face. Seeing her nod, he leaned down to kiss the pink nipples, feeling her trembling through his hands.

Backing away for a second, he looked up at her face. "Abbey, are you sure?"

"Yes, Jed. I’m sure." In response, she drew her hands up and unbuttoned his shirt, working her way down to his buckle and zipper. She felt how hard he was getting, knowing how aroused they both were becoming.

Jed laid her gently on her back and lay by her side. Placing gentle kisses on her chest, he felt another shudder go through her body. Quickly looking again at her face, he noted a relaxed face, a welcoming face.

"Are you okay?" he quietly asked while lightly stroking a circle around her belly button.

She was only able to nod as her emotions were too close to the surface for verbal answers. Abbey was ready. He was ready. Ready to restart their expressions of love toward each other. Gaining confidence, Jed increased the intensity of the kissing and stroking.

Abbey accepted Jed’s movements without hesitation. He kissed her on her neck as he rubbed her nipples, anticipating her response. He moved slightly, pushing her panties off her hips and down her legs. His fingers slowly stroked her thighs until he found her warm, moist folds, gently probing and watching for any negative response. Her breath became faster as her arousal became more intense, her body trembling under his touch.

"Oh God, Jed," as her back arched in continued response to his actions. "I want you. I need you now."

Abbey returned Jed’s actions as she planted gentle kisses on his shoulders. Pushing his boxers down, she placed her hands around him and stroked him into full arousal. His breath caught as her hands stroked him and he knew then that they would be fine. He felt his pressure building, knowing that it wouldn’t take much for his release. And he knew she felt the same way. They had been apart too long for a slow, measured response to each other.

This time both he and Abbey were truly ready. She was able to hold him and accept him in the manner that they were accustomed to, before the horrible Columbian incident.

Eventually, Jed entered very gently, looking into Abbey’s eyes until he knew she wasn’t going to flinch. Her eyes were filled with love this time, not fear. 

"I love you Abbey. I’m so glad to have you back."

"I love you too. And I’m glad to be back," as she placed her hands in his hair and drew his lips to hers for a long delayed passionate and deep throated kiss.

He paused, allowing her body to reacquaint itself with him. She responded by pulling him closer, to have as much of him as she could. It didn’t take long for each of them to know the satisfaction that had long been denied.

It was gentle. Thoughtful. Full of love for each other. 

They had finally regained their normal circumstances.

THE END


End file.
